Level protractor tool



Aug. 19, 1958 F. E. BATEMAN LEVEL PROTRACTOR TOOL Filed Jan. 25, 1957 3p2.624 /Lf/ /f F/oyd E. Baie/nan 1N V EN TOR.

Fig. 6 J6 34 United States Patent() LEVEL PROTRACTOR TOOL Floyd E.Bateman, Tupelo, Ukla.

Application January 25, 1957, Serial No. 636,339

1 Claim. (Cl. 3.3-215) This invention relates in general to hand toolsand more particularly to a tool for horizontal pipe line branch lay-outwork.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a hand tool for useby carpenters, brick layers, and plumbers, who ordinarily use a spiritlevel for levelling structures and pipe lines, the improved tool takingthe place of the ordinary spirit level.

A further object of this invention is to provide a tool which may beutilized to indicate the degrees of slope of any part of a structure orof a pipe line, in the case of a plumber.

A further object of this invention is to provide a hand tool which maybe utilized by a plumber or steam fitter for laying out centers ofbranch lines from a horizontal run of pipe, the branch line being laidout at the proper angle by use of the tool.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a view in elevation of one side of the level protractortool;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevation of the indicating dialof the tool, with portion broken away for clarity;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along section line 3-3of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional View taken substantially alongsection line 4 4 of Figure 2, with details of a pivot pin and thecounterweighted pointer clearly shown;

Figure 5 is a further enlarged exploded perspective view of a pivotspool and the weighted indicator; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary, sectional view taken substantiallyalong section line 6 6 of Figure l and showing details of the built-inspring actuated center punch.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the levelprotractor tool consists of an elongated frame, which is referred to ingeneral by the reference numeral 10. The frame ltl consists of sideedges 12 and 14, which are parallel along the longitudinal lengththereof, and two ends which are Vd inwardly as at 16 and 18. The edges12 and 14 are planar and in addition to being parallel longitudinally ofthe tool they are also transversely parallel. The Vd end 18 has disposedat the apex of the V 20, and along the longitudinal center line of thetool a cylindrical punch 22 which terminates at the outer end thereof ina point 24, and at the inner end thereof in a circular face 26. Thepunch 22 is free to slide within an aperture 28 and is urged outward bymeans of a coil spring 30. Intermediate ends 24 and 26 of the punchthere is attached thereto an operating handle 32 and an operating button34. The operating handle 32 extends outward transversely through the lCCframe 10 through a longitudinally extending elongated slot 36, the slot36 terminates at the inner end thereof in a keeper notch 38 whichengages the operating handle 32 when the punch is withdrawn by means ofthe operating button 34 and then rotated in the notch 38.

Centrally disposed in the frame 10 there. is provided a transversecircular opening which is referred to in general by the referencenumeral 40. As is best seen in Figure 3 the opening 40 is provided witha circular recess as at 42 on each side of the tool to receive spacedapart coaxial disks 44 and 46 which are transparent for readingtherethrough. The disks 44 and 46 are maintained in the tool by means ofplaster of Paris 48, or other similar material used on like instruments.rI`he plaster of Paris is maintained in position by means of a circularkeying notch 5t), which is also standard construction.

Intermediate the disks 44, 46 an annular flange 41 on the frame l0 isprovided in the opening 40 centrally thereof and which is generallyV-shaped in cross-section and formed with a pair of base faces 52, 54 atopposite sides thereof radial to the opening 40 and against which thedisks 44, 46 bear and are spaced apart thereby, said flange 4l providingthereon oppositely bevelled or inclined side faces S6, 58 extending fromthe base faces 52, 54 and terminating in an apex 60. The faces 56 and 58contain duplicate circular scales, a scale 62, graduated in degrees anda scale 64 graduated in inches per foot rise. It should be understoodthat the apex 60 is equidistant from the disks 44 and 46 and thereforecentrally disposed with respect to the transverse dimension of the tool,

There is provided in the disk 46 an aperture 66 which is concentric withthe opening 40 and adapted to receive a ilat headed pivot pin 68, thepivot pin 68 extends through the disk 46 and has at the opposite endthereof a threaded portion '70 which is received in a threaded aperture72 in the disk 44. The pivot pin 68 carries a pair of spoollike pivotbearings, which are referred to in general by reference numerals 74 and76. Inasmuch as the spools 74 and 76 are identical, one spool only willbe described and like reference numerals used on both. The spool 74consists of a somewhat hyperboloid shaped member having an outercircular face 7S, and an inner circular face 82. An axially extendingbore 84 is provided therein. When assembled, the faces 7S are in closeface-to-face relationship with the disk, with the pin 63 through thebores 84 and the faces d2 in face-to-face engaging relation with eachother. As will be seen, the spools 74, 76 are V-shaped circumferentiallyto provide a pair of V- shaped grooves 84) spaced longitudinally of thepivot pin 68 and at opposite sides of the engaging faces 32 of saidspools. p

The pivot bearings 74 and 76 receive thereon a counter- Weightedindicator which is referred to in general by the reference numeral 86and has an elongated pointer 8S with a knife-edge tip 9@ thereon. Thepointer 88 terminates at the opposite end thereof in a transverselyextending arm 92, which in turn terminates at the ends thereof inlaterally spaced pairs of downwardly extending diverging legs 94. Thelegs 94 have attached thereto an inverted pyramid-shaped counterweight96. it should be noted that when the indicator 66 is assembled on thespools 74, 76, the pairs of legs 94 straddle and ride in the grooves 8@of the spools 74, 76 with the crossbar 92 spaced above the engagingfaces S2 of said spools, thereby providing a relatively friction proofand freely rotatable indicator which is pivotal laterally in eithergroove 80. It should be further noted that the counterweight 96terminates at the apex thereof in a knife edge 98, the purpose of whichwill be described hereinafter. The V-shaped grooves and legs 94 preventlateral shifting bodily of the indicator on its pivot.

In operation the level protractor tool, when used as an ordinary spiritlevel, may be used on roof rafters to indicate by direct reading thedegrees of slope or the slope in inches per feet, it should be herenoted that either the knife edge 90 or the knife edge 98, which are -inclose proximity to the apex 60 may be utilized in reading the scaleprovided. When utilized for pipe lay-out work, assuming that branchlines at various angles are to be laid out on a horizontal run of pipe,the center punch 22 is retracted into the aperture 28, thus compressingthe spring 30 and the operating handle 32 is engaged in the notch 38.The V 18 is then placed on the horizontal run of pipe and the toolrotated about the pipe until the desired reading is obtained on thescale. The operating handle is then released from the notch 38 and thecenter punch, actuated by the spring 30 strikes the pipe line, thusindicating the center of the required branch line.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddcscribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted t0, falling within the scope v of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows: A level protractor tool comprisingan elongated frame having a central circular opening and provided withan annular central flange in said opening substantially V- shaped incross-section and providing oppositely inclined graduated faces thereon,a pair of transparent coaxial disks iixed in said opening at oppositesides of said ange for viewing the graduations therethrough and closingsaid opening, a pivot pin extending transversely through said disks inthe axis thereof and fixed to said disks, a pair of end-to-end spools onsaid pivot pin having circumferential V-shaped grooves therein andengaging ends and forming a bearing, and a counterweighted indicatorbetween said disks including a bar extending across and spaced abovesaid engaging ends of said spools and having terminal pairs of end legsstraddling and riding in said grooves and whereby said indicator ispivotal laterally on said bearing and rotatable thereon and held againstbodily shifting longitudinally of said pin, said graduated facesproviding for reading of said indicator against the graduations fromeither side of the frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS736,073 Collicutt Aug. 11, 1903 751,763 Wagor Feb. 9, 1904 909,046Woolson Ian. 5, 1909 948,523 Perkins Feb. 8, 1910 1,541,455 White June9, 1925 2,220,029 `Stephan Oct. 29, 1940 2,569,349 Smith Sept. 25, 1951

